Community Sponsorship

Community Sponsorship is a safe and legal way for refugees to come to the UK and be supported to settle and integrate here. Families who come to the UK under the scheme are currently in refugee camps or areas of conflict, where they have often been living for years. They have all been through an application process with the United Nations High Commissionon Refugees (UNHCR) to be settled in another country. Community sponsorship is a government-backed programme, and all Community Sponsorship Groups have to be approved by the Home Office before they’re matched with a family.

Under the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), families sponsored by a community sponsorship group are in addition to the number of refugees the government has already agreed to accept. They mainly come from the Middle East and North Africa, and have been waiting a long time. Community sponsorship has also recently become a potential route to a new life for Afghan citizens who the government has undertaken to resettle in the UK.

Every community sponsorship group has a Lead Sponsor, which is a registered charity. The Lead Sponsor ensures the Group meets its obligations and commitments, and provides support to make the sponsorship successful.

To gain Home Office approval, Community Sponsorship Groups have to:

• Find accommodation for the family for two years

• Obtain the consent of the local authority

• Have good governance in place, including a leadership group and appropriate policies to ensure the safety and welfare of everyone involved

• Raise £9,000 to spend on helping the family establish new lives

Each Group also makes a commitment to secure accommodation for the family for two years, and to provide support for at least a year to empower the family to establish a stable and independent life in the UK.

You can read more here Apply for community sponsorship and here What is Community Sponsorship?